ENT02 The Bitter
by A Rhea King
Summary: Trip visits an alien's ship to help repair their warp engine, but he quickly finds their chief engineer has no intention of making his job easy.
1. Chapter 1

THE BITTER  
By A. Rhea King

**CHAPTER 1**

Archer followed behind Trip, watching him do another check of his equipment.

"I know I forgot something," Trip muttered to himself, "Probably something stupid like a wrench or screwdriver. Be just the luck."

Archer smiled.

"A PADD. Damn!" Trip spun around and ran into Archer.

Archer fell back a step, laughing. Trip blushed.

"I've been following you since engineering. You worry too much."

"Don't laugh. Them Xyrillians think I did such a great job, they sent these Arestak to get help. I gotta make this look good."

Archer shook his head. "They didn't ask for a miracle, Trip. They just need to find out why their warp drive keeps going off line."

"And there could be a million reasons," Trip stepped around Archer. "And I need the right tool."

Archer held up his hand, looking Trip in the eye. "Trip, they've been waiting for you for twenty minutes. I have to go meet the Ylla and you're holding up the show."

"But—"

"They have tools on their ship, Trip. Turn around and walk."

"But—"

Archer started chuckling. "Walk! Go! Get off my ship!"

Trip frowned, but obeyed. Archer fell into stride, his chuckles dying off.

"Why are you taking this so serious?"

"I'm not."

"You are."

Trip stopped, looking at Archer. "At the end of the request, Ah'len told me my daughter's real sick. I'm just worried."

Archer stopped in front of Trip, staring at him. "You're… I never…" Archer's mouth continued working but the only word that came out was, "Wow."

"What?"

"I never knew you thought of that baby as _your_ daughter. You never talk about her."

"Ya never ask." Trip walked around Archer.

Archer turned, following alongside. "Do you even know her name?"

Trip smiled. "Al'ra. They placed her with a real nice family. They send me a letter and pictures every month or so. It surprised me that they even wanted to keep me in the loop, but I'm glad they have."

"I'm glad to hear you're comfortable with this."

"I was only uncomfortable when she was in me." Trip glanced at Archer.

They came to the airlock and there was no one waiting for them. They boarded the Arestak ship and turned left. The walls were lined with a chromed, acoustic metal that muted all sounds and they couldn't hear their footsteps. The metal chink of Trip's cases was barely audible.

"Mind your manners, Trip."

"Don't I always!"

"Should I really answer that?"

Trip shrugged. "Guess not."

Archer stopped outside of the decompression chamber at the end of the hall, saying, "Good luck with their engine, Trip."

Trip stopped in the center of the room, looking around the small, circular area. There was a padded bench meant for sitting and sleeping on and a couple of monitors. The Arestak had told them that most visiting aliens spent anywhere from twelve hours to a full day in the chamber. Trip sighed, turning. Archer offered him a sympathetic smile.

"At least there aren't any Klingons with you this time," Archer said.

"At least. See ya in a week, Cap'n."

"Seven days. Not an hour less."

Trip smiled, nodding once.

Archer pressed the panel outside the decompression chamber and the door slowly slid shut. Trip took another look around the room. He looked back at Archer, watching him disappear behind the door. Trip sat his equipment and duffel bag on the floor as he sank down onto the bench. He heard the soft whooshing sound of the locks engaging. Trip leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. He heard the impulse engine whine and then silence. Trip laid down on the bench, lacing his hands behind his head and letting his mind drift.

"Commander Tucker."

Trip woke slowly up, immediately noticing how heavy his body felt in the heavier gravity of the Arestak ship. He was aware of how each breath was a labor for his lungs to pull in with the gravity weighing down on his chest. He tried to wet his mouth, but there was hardly any saliva in his mouth. Trip felt sweat trickle down his forehead and became conscious of the how hot it was aboard the Arestak ship. While getting inoculated before departing, Doctor Phlox had mentioned the Arestak were very cold blooded aliens and that they lived in an environment that was arid and with a temperature of thirty-nine degrees Celsius or higher. It was a fact that had almost made Trip refuse to help them had Archer not shot him a warning look before he even opened his mouth. He opened his eyes, looking up at the three blurry aliens standing by the bench. Trip closed his eyes.

"Give him a couple minutes, Captain," one of the aliens said.

Trip opened his eyes again and sat up. He looked back up at the aliens. They were dressed in loose uniforms with no real definition of a waist in them. The uniforms were two colors, with the tops black and the pants a single color. The outside seams of the pants were solid black. Metal strips of gold, pewter or silver were fastened to the seam along the right thigh, signifying the wearer's rank. They had parched skin that looked like it would crumble if touched, yet it stretched and moved easily over their dense bones and bulging muscles. Their hair was cut short and neat, and their eyes had translucent pupils of browns, greens, blues and gray. They all had fine boned hands with narrow hands and long fingers.

"How long have I been in here?" Trip asked.

"A day and a half," the alien in the center said.

"Took me that long to adjust?"

"No. It was only twelve hours, however, according to the Xyrillians, you were quite disoriented when you went through decompression on their ship. They also mentioned you refused to rest until your captain ordered you to. Since your ship was well out of communication range, I decided it was best that you sleep to avoid such a dispute."

'_Great. They act like parents._' Trip thought as he tried again to wet his mouth. '_Polite and professional, Trip. Polite and professional or Jon'll nail my hide to the wall._'

"Thank you," Trip told the Arestak.

"I am Captain Pah'pr." The alien placed his hand on his stomach.

Trip extended his hand to Pah'pr and immediately withdrew it. "Sorry. Forgot you don't touch others of the same sex."

"That is correct. Doctor Ghu'jh needs to examine you." Pah'pr motioned to the female Arestak on his right.

Trip nodded. Doctor Ghu'jh sat down beside Trip and began scanning him.

"Our martur was able to replicate many of the menu items sent to us," Pah'pr said, "and we were able to replicate the water compund quite easily."

Trip nodded.

Doctor Ghu'jh lowered her instruments. "Our environment not only has heavier gravity than you're used to, but it is also drier and warmer. You need to be careful to intake plenty of liquid sustenance. Your doctor told me you are highly susceptible to dehydration. Is that correct?"

"Yeah. Real easy for me."

"Did you bring lighter clothing?"

"Yeah. Exactly what you recommended."

Doctor Ghu'jh looked up at Pah'pr. "He should be scheduled for frequent breaks, Captain."

Trip closed his eyes. '_Scheduled for frequent breaks? Damn. I should have sent an ensign._'

"Are you feeling ill, Commander?" Doctor Ghu'jh asked.

Trip looked at her, smiling, "No. Feeling fine."

"Alert me immediately if you began to feel ill."

Trip nodded.

Doctor Ghu'jh stood, facing Pah'pr. "He really should refrain from heavy work today, Captain. In addition, he should eat and intake liquid. And change out of his uniform."

Pah'pr nodded. Doctor Ghu'jh turned back to Trip, holding out her hand. Trip took it and she tilted her head to the side.

"It was a pleasure to meet with you, Commander Tucker. Good leave."

"Good leave," Trip repeated.

She turned and left the chamber.

"I will show you your resting hex. We do not dine together as your kind does. You will take all meals within your resting hex."

Trip nodded.

"This way." Pah'pr waved his hands to his chest as he turned and led the way out of the chamber.

Trip gathered his equipment and duffel bag. They passed a younger Arestak standing next to the door. The Arestak held Trip's gaze with a dark, hateful glare. Trip chose to ignore him.

Pah'pr led Trip into engineering and Trip's eyes immediately found the warp drive in the center of the room. Trip guessed this explained why their ship had a spike in the center, for the warp drive rose vertically three and a half decks. Along the sides, there were tinted view sections that allowed the engineers to monitor the plasma flow. Normally a blue glow illuminated the view sections, but the view sections were dark since the warp drive was off-line. The outside of the warp drive was chrome metal, like the rest of the ship. To Trip it gave the ship an uncomfortable, institutionalized, hospital-like feeling. The metal also muted sounds, that it unnerved Trip because he knew the sounds were there, only by memory.

Trip looked down at the alien controls, walking up to a panel fixed onto the waist high rail around the warp drive. He was conscious that Captain Pah'pr had stepped up beside him, but was intent on starting to work on the warp drive problem.

"If you will wait here a moment, I will go fetch our senior engineer," Pah'pr said.

"Okay," Trip answered, looking up at the warp drive.

Trip looked down, immediately noticing his bare arms. He wasn't used to wearing short sleeves on duty, but Doctor Phlox had insisted he dress cool while serving aboard the Arestak ship. He had suggested Trip wear the lightest pants he had while on duty and shorts off duty and short or sleeveless shirts where permissible. Trip was conscious that during the short walk from his resting hex to engineering his shirt already had large sweat spots. Trip turned back to the controls.

Trip heard voices rise above the muffled silence and turned. He looked up, seeing Pah'pr speaking to the young Arestak that had been outside the decompression chamber when Trip left it. Trip turned back to the controls. He heard his name mentioned and looked up. Pah'pr had the younger one by the back of his neck and had pulled him within centimeters of his face. The younger Arestak was trying to pull away, but Pah'pr was apparently much stronger and held him. Pah'pr finally pushed the Arestak away, continuing to talk. He fell silent and the two glared at one another. The younger Arestak turned and disappeared out of Trip's sight. Pah'pr followed. Trip turned back to the controls.

"Commander Tucker," Pah'pr said.

Trip looked toward the voice and dread began to set in. The younger Arestak that Pah'pr had just been yelling at was following Pah'pr toward Trip, glaring hatefully at Trip.

Trip turned around, thinking to himself, '_Jon and I are having a looooong talk about aiding unknown aliens if this guy's helping me._'

The two stopped and Pah'pr nodded once to the younger Arestak. Trip wasn't sure what the movement meant. Pah'pr turned his head, looking at the younger Arestak. The young Arestak glanced at Pah'pr and looked back at Trip. He stepped forward and bowed his head slightly.

"Senior engineer, Jahk'pr," he said.

'_A really, really long talk._' Trip forced a smile. "Pleased ta meet you."

Jahk'pr looked past Trip. "This is Assistant Aws'tp. She will aid you while you are working on our warp engine."

Trip looked back. A female Arestak walked up to them, holding her hand out to Trip. Trip gratefully shook it.

"Pleased ta meet ya, ma'am," Trip told her.

She nodded her head to the side once. "And you, Commander Tucker."

"I must return to my command post," Pah'pr informed them.

Trip looked back at Pah'pr. '_You're leaving me with this asshole? Oh Lord!_'

"If you need anything," Pah'pr began, "or you find difficulties with anything or anyone, alert me. I will remedy the problem immediately."

'_Got an attitude adjustment for junior here?_' Trip nodded, smiling. "Thank you."

Pah'pr turned so he could face Jahk'pr before he left. He gave the young Arestak a long, stern look as he departed. The silence that followed his departure was tense and heavy.

"GET BACK TO WORK!" Jahk'pr yelled at the engineering crew.

The crew jumped to obey. Jahk'pr turned a hateful glare to Trip. He stepped close to him, pointing a long index finger into Trip's chest. Clearly he didn't care about touching someone of the same sex.

"I do not need you here, know that, however, Captain Pah'pr has it in his mind we need help from aliens we know nothing about. Therefore, I have to obey and since that is the case, I suggest three things occur. One, you had better fix that warp drive. Two, do not tell me what you cannot do because if I fix it, I will send you back to the rendezvous location in an escape sphere. And stay out of my way or I will break every frail bone in your alien body. Are we clear, _Commander Tucker_?"

"Crystal."

"What?"

"That means yes," Trip growled. He added, as a thought, '_Dick munch._'

Jahk'pr snarled as he turned to leave. Trip watched him leave engineering and looked at Aws'tp. She was looking at the floor.

"He's not really a people person, is he?"

She looked at Trip. "Excuse me?"

"Jahk'pr doesn't really get along well with others, does he? How'd he get to be senior engineer?"

"He is Captain Pah'pr's son; he is here because he had disciplinary infractions while serving aboard other ships due to his temper. It is a trait from his mother's blood lines."

Trip laughed.

"What did I say that was amusing?" Aws'tp asked.

"It's from his mother. Among my kind, it's almost a customary joke to blame a child's bad behavior on a parent that's not present."

Aws'tp smiled. "I read all the information your science officer provided us on humans and I did not read about this custom."

"It's an _almost_ custom and our science officer is a Vulcan. They only _think_ they know everything about humans."

"I see I have much more to learn about humans. I will have much more to tell my husbands."

"Husbands? You have more than one?"

"Yes. Three."

"They married to other women?"

Aws'tp smiled. "I know that it is a custom of your species to mate with a single mate, however, our unions are very different. A woman may have multiple husbands and a man may have multiple wives, but once we decide to have more than one, all those that enter the union may not take other mates. They may only if they separate from the union circle for five years or by unanimous decision of the other spouses."

"Sounds complicated." Trip looked at the door. "How many wives does Jahk'pr have?"

"Jahk'pr cannot marry. He is under legal restriction."

"What's that mean?"

"The law deciders have determined that his violent behavior would cause an unstable union and cause undue strife and abuse toward his union spouses."

Trip turned to the controls behind him, thinking, '_No wonder he's in such a bad mood._' He pointed to a symbol on the control panel. "What's this say?"

"One moment."

Aws'tp jogged across the room and retrieved a device from a compartment. She returned and held her hand out to Trip.

"May I see your translating device?"

Trip handed her his communicator. She looked it over and finally connected it to the device. She separated the two and handed both to Trip.

"Place the device in the upper right corner." She pointed to a marked spot on the controls.

Trip obeyed.

"Now, push the green button on the top."

Trip did. A holograph appeared over the controls and at first it was translucent and unreadable. Items on the image rearranged and became solid in color, covering the controls. It moved down so it was right on top of the controls. Everything that had been in an alien language was now in English.

"This device works on any display and control panel on the ship, except view monitors," Aws'tp explained, "but they have built in translators. To remove it, press the green button again, wait for the image to completely disappear and then remove the device."

"Your culture uses a lot of holographs, doesn't it?" Trip looked at her.

"Yes. They have become quite useful to us. Just recently, four months to be exact, we began using them for entertainment. Our ship was the first of five equipped with a room that projects an interactive holograph in the entire room."

"Perhaps I'll finish early and you can show it to me. Now how do I pull up the diagnostic and maintenance reports for the last thirty days and the last two cycles?"

Aws'tp leaned in to teach Trip how to use the ship's computer.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Trip stood at the control panel on the railing surrounding the warp drive. Sweat from his chest, back, neck and armpits has turned his light colored, short-sleeved shirt almost black. He pulled a rag from his back pocket and wiped his face before looking up the warp drive in front of him.

"Engineering to the bridge," Trip said.

"Go ahead, Commander," Pah'pr replied.

"Let's giver her a trial run. We'll try warp one."

"Why warp one?" Jahk'pr asked with a mocking tone.

"Because at warp one we can stop if something goes wrong," Trip looked back at Jahk'pr. He was standing at a control panel behind Trip. "Unless you wanna destroy yourself, the crew, and the ship."

"I did not suggest that," Jahk'pr replied haughtily. "Perhaps you should focus on your task, Commander Tucker."

Trip looked away without comment.

"We are prepared to go to warp one," Pah'pr informed Trip. "Perhaps we should leave helm controls in engineering for you?"

Trip smiled. "I trust Fye'h's flying. Just tell him to be ready to hit the brakes if I start shouting."

"Hit the brakes?"

"Stop."

"He says he will be prepared."

Trip looked down at the controls and tapped several spots on the screen. "Okay, Fye'h, bring her up nice and easy to warp one."

After several minutes, the whine of the warp drive was heard.

"Aws'tp, how's it looking over there?"

Aws'tp leaned to the side. "All readings are within normal limitations, Commander."

Trip looked back at his controls. "Okay, let's get a little ambitious. Feel comfortable going to warp three Fye'h?"

"He said he does," Pah'pr replied.

Trip rolled his eyes. '_Maybe Fye'h could answer for himself?_' Trip leaned to the side, catching Aws'tp's eye. "Alert me if any warnings go off."

"Yes, Commander," Aws'tp replied.

The whine increased in pitch.

"We are at warp three. Opening her up to warp four." Trip waited for several minutes. He leaned to the side, looking at Aws'tp. "We're at warp four. How's it looking?"

She smiled, looking up. "Everything is within normal operating limits, Commander. So far we're doing well."

"Perhaps we should go to warp six, Captain," Jahk'pr proposed.

Trip looked back. Jahk'pr smiled, but it was cold and hateful.

"Commander, how do you feel about that?" Pah'pr asked.

Trip looked at Aws'tp. "How far are we in the normal?"

She looked at her controls. "All readings are well within normal operating limits."

"Nothing is even close to critical?"

"No."

"Going to warp six," Trip said. "At the first sign of anything going into critical, tell me Aws'tp."

"Yes, Commander."

Trip waited but no one said anything.

"The top speed of your engine is six point eight, right?" Trip asked Aws'tp.

"You did not read _that_?" Jahk'pr snapped.

"Correct, Commander," Aws'tp answered.

"And there are no readings showing things out of normal?" Trip asked her.

"No."

"Are you _sure_?"

"Yes, Commander. I am looking at the monitor and nothing is showing out of normal operating limits."

Trip reached out, tapping the controls. "I'm bringing her out of warp, Cap'n."

"Is something wrong?"

"There should be some rise in those operation readouts. They should be close to critical, if not already in the critical zone."

"He is doubting his work, Captain," Jahk'pr incited.

Trip spun around. "Look, Jahk'pr, you've been a senior engineer for a year, I've been one for thirteen. A warp engine running at top speed should, at the very least, show the warp coil temperature rising to critical. That means there is something in this engine that is malfunctioning or something in the sensors malfunction. I'm picking this engine and those sensors apart until I find it."

"Commander, perhaps Jahk'pr is correct," Pah'pr said.

Trip spun around, staring at the companel. "What?"

"You may be doubting your repairs. You have made extraordinary progress in the last three days ago. Perhaps you did fix everything that was wrong with it."

"Cap'n Pah'pr, I mean no disrespect by disagreeing with you, but I don't believe this engine is operating within normal capacity yet. I'm telling you, at warp six, those readouts should have shown something."

Pah'pr didn't reply immediately. He cleared his throat. "Commander, when did you rest last?"

"Sir?"

"Reply, Commander."

"I…don't remember."

"I think you need to take a rest, Commander. Take a rest and then return to this project in the morning. I may not be a warp drive engineer, but even I can hear you are tired and you need it. You will, as you said, pick the engine and sensors apart, and we will run another test. If the readouts remain the same, then the only logical conclusion is that you have succeeded to repair our warp drive."

Trip smiled a little. "And I can hear T'Pol saying those exact words. Okay. That's a fair trade, Captain."

"Good. Get some rest and relax. Perhaps this evening you would like to try out the holographic recreation room?"

"I'd like that, Cap'n."

"I will send someone by to show it to you."

"Thank you. Engineering out."

Trip leaned on the railing, letting out a tired sigh. He looked over his shoulder at Jahk'pr. The Arestak was working on something, ignoring Trip.

'_I'll never forgive you_ _if whatever you did to this engine, _boy, _kills this crew_,' Trip thought.

Jahk'pr looked up and then at Trip. Trip looked away.

#

Trip sat in a chair, with his feet up on the desk, reading a PADD. He was dressed in a muscle shirt, shorts and sandals. A breeze from the environment duct above him was blowing cold air down on him.

The doorbell beeped and without looking away from his PADD Trip replied, "Come in."

The door opened and the person entered.

"How can I help ya?" Trip asked.

"Why is it so cold in here?" Jahk'pr asked.

Trip rolled his eyes, but answered, "Because it's so hot everywhere else. What can I do for you, Jahk'pr?"

"I was ordered to take you to the holographic recreation room," Jahk'pr's voice replied.

Trip's eyes slowly drifted up from the PADD in his hand to the wall. '_Aw shit_!' He shook his head a little.

"That's okay," Trip replied. "I'm busy so you're off the hook. Thanks for asking."

"I was not asking. I was ordered to entertain you for the evening."

Trip's brow furrowed. "You're telling me Captain Pah'pr _ordered_ you to have some fun?" Trip looked back at Jahk'pr. "Doesn't this tell you something?"

Jahk'pr drew himself to attention. "It tells me that my captain ordered me to entertain you for the evening. What are you implying it means?"

"Don't pay any mind to what I'm implying, but I'm not interested in going. I'm busy." Trip waved the PADD in his hand.

Jahk'pr reached out, snatched the PADD from Trip's hand, and hurled onto the bed. He leaned over, glaring into Trip's own glare.

"I was ordered to do this, and since you've already made me look lazy and incompetent. I will drag you to the recreation room if I have to. I will not be made a fool of by you once again."

Trip smirked. "Oh, I think you were doing a fine job of that before I got here, Jahk'pr."

"Are you insulting me?"

"Did it sound like an insult?"

"Yes."

"There ya go."

"And what does it mean?"

"It means your crew hates you."

"They told you this, I suppose?"

"They don't havta." Trip rose, looking down on Jahk'pr. "I can see it. Course that could have a lot to do with you being such a _dick _to everyone!"

Trip turned and walked to the door. He stopped in the hall, smiling at two Arestak that passed. He looked back, meeting Jahk'pr's eyes.

"Well?" Trip asked.

"Well what?"

"Are you gonna show me the holographic recreation room? That's if you aren't busy."

Jahk'pr walked out into the hall, holding Trip's gaze until he turned to lead the way. Trip fell in behind him, sliding his hands into his pockets. Jahk'pr stopped at a door and turned to wait for Trip to join him. He tapped the control by the door and the two entered a room.

Trip looked around the room, careful to hide how interested in this he really was. He didn't want Jahk'pr to even guess he had been dying to see this room.

"Computer," Jahk'pr said. The computer beeped in response. "Display Ede'thif."

A holograph of an Arestak city appeared around them. The street Trip stood on was bustling with Arestak and he couldn't hide his wonder. He caught sight of a rock formation behind a building.

"What are the rock formations?" Trip pointed to it.

"They are geological formations."

"They look manmade."

"The entire moon has them. They are on nearly all the plateaus."

Trip walked along the street, Aware of Jahk'pr trailing behind him. He came to a bridge that spanned a chasm.

"What's this?" Trip asked, motioning to the chasm.

"The areas we built cities on are plateaus," Jahk'pr explained, "Which have these chasms between them. Some go to the core, but most only go several hundred meters."

"Only? That's a big only."

"This one goes to the core. If you go to the center of the bridge you may be able to see the magma below."

"This is a holograph."

"It is an accurate holograph."

"Is it safe?"

"Yes. Safeties are still on."

Trip walked around to the bridge and out to the middle. He stepped up to the railing, looking over the edge of the bridge. It appeared that there was magma hundreds of meters below and from the perceived distance he stood at, it was a thin red-orange line. Trip looked up when he heard Jahk'pr say something and had only a moment to see the Arestak was smiling evilly.

The bridge disappeared from underneath him, sending him plunging into the chasm. Trip didn't even have time to scream before he hit something solid. He looked up and found he was lying on an invisible surface. The chasm stretched below him and the magma at the bottom was still a thin line of light. Trip slowly got to his feet and stood for a minute to gather his nerves. His anger was right on the heels of his fleeting terror.

Trip turned, finding Jahk'pr standing at the edge of the chasm and the city gone. The land was left barren, as it had been before it was colonized. Trip stormed over to Jahk'pr, whose calm expression didn't change even when Trip grabbed his shirt and yanked him forward.

"What the _hell_ did you do that for? You think that was funny!?"

A cold smile settled on Jahk'pr's lips. "I did find it rather amusing."

"I could have been hurt!"

"The safeties are on. You would not have received any injury even if you had fallen to the bottom."

Trip pushed him away. "The hell with you! How the hell do I get out of here?"

"You cannot leave for another forty-five minutes," Jahk'pr told him.

"And why's that?"

"I am to allow you to explore the recreation room for an hour. You are not leaving until it has been an hour. _I_ follow orders."

"I WANT OUT OF HERE!"

Jahk'pr didn't reply.

Trip turned and put his hands on his hips, shaking his head a little. The two were silent for several minutes. Trip sighed.

"Show me something else then," Trip demanded, "Anything but this place."

"Anything?"

"Except a desert."

"Computer, display Arestak as it is now."

The scene changed and Trip found himself standing in the middle of a lava field. He closed his eyes.

"I shoulda known."

"You should have known what?"

Trip looked over his shoulder at Jahk'pr. "Aren't there any holographs with trees, or water, or grass?"

Jahk'pr walked up to Trip. "We did not come from any place with trees, water, or grass."

Trip's anger was forgotten. The statement intrigued him.

"There were never any trees on your home world before it started erupting?" Trip looked around him. "Or whatever they call it."

"It is called zji'pegh," Jahk'pr said. "Anger of the gods." Jahk'pr looked around him. "The lands began to crack open and fire rose up to engulf the cities and our ancestors fled to other stars."

"What was it like before that?"

"Computer, display Arestak three-hundred years ago."

The two were standing on the top of a sand dune. Trip turned, looking in all directions. There was nothing but blue sky and sand as far as the eye could see. He looked at Jahk'pr.

"I said I didn't wanna visit a desert," Trip reminded Jahk'pr.

"You wanted to know what Arestak looked like before the zji'pegh. Perhaps you should decide what you really want to know."

"You're telling me your entire planet was a desert?" Trip looked at Jahk'pr.

"Mostly. There were oases, but not many. My ancestors were a nomadic people and they traveled from oasis to oasis. There were a few cities that developed all technology."

Trip looked back across the sand, shielding his eyes. "Quite the environment change, I guess."

"It was."

The holograph shook suddenly.

On the com a voice yelled, "All hands to stations! We are under attack!"

"Computer—" Jahk'pr began.

The ship rocked again and they both fell onto the sand dune. Jahk'pr stood up.

"Computer, end holo—" Jahk'pr began again.

The ship rocked again. From behind Jahk'pr there was a shower of sparks and for a brief second both saw the door and controls behind the holograph. The ship rocked violently again and the holograph covered the opening.

"Computer, end holograph," Jahk'pr ordered.

The holograph didn't end.

"Is it my imagination or is it getting warmer in here?" Trip asked.

"Computer, respond," Jahk'pr ordered.

The computer didn't respond.

"Computer, reveal exit."

The ship rocked again, but the exit didn't display.

"There has to be a way to get it shut off," Trip said.

Jahk'pr looked back at him, motioning across the vast expanse around them. "Take your pick. It is either behind sand or sky and because the holograph moves with us, you'll never get within a body length of the wall."

The ship rocked violently. Trip fell back and rolled down the dune. Jahk'pr lost his balance on the next hit and landed in a heap beside Trip. Both stayed down while the ship continued to rock.

#

Captain Pah'pr gripped his chair when a phase cannon blast from the attacking alien ship hit the hull. He turned to the Arestak COM officer behind him.

"Locate Jahk'pr and Commander Tucker," Pah'pr ordered.

She obeyed.

"Evasive maneuvers. Return fire!"

The ship shook again.

"They are in the holographic recreation room, sir," the COM officer reported. "I am not getting a response."

"The holographic computer is off line," another Arestak said. "They probably have no communications in there nor can they get out."

Pah'pr shook his head. "Pah'pr to Engineering."

"Responding, Captain," Aws'tp replied.

"The chief engineers are trapped in the holographic recreation room. Order the crew to maintain engineering as best they can and prepare to go to warp five."

"Captain, Commander Tucker warned us about going to warp—"

Pah'pr interrupted her. "Aws'tp, we either flee or we die fighting. Which is the most logical choice at the moment?"

"Fleeing, Captain. We will be ready to go to warp in two minutes."

"Alert me when we are prepared."

"Compliant, Captain."

Pah'pr turned his attention back to keeping his ship from being destroyed.

#

Trip opened his eyes. He held his breath, waiting for another hit to rock the ship.

"I think it may be over," Jahk'pr said, standing up.

Trip got to his knees, looking up at Jahk'pr. "Can we get out of here?"

"Computer, open a com channel to the bridge."

There was no response. Jahk'pr shook his head, looking down at Trip.

Trip turned, reclining back against the sand dune. "We could have at least been trapped somewhere… nicer."

"What are you doing?" Jahk'pr asked.

Trip looked up at him. "Waiting it out. What are you doing?"

"Have you not noticed the temperature has risen considerably?"

"Yeah. I have. What do you think I was complaining about? I mean if we had an ocean even, this wouldn't be so bad. I coulda gone for a swi—"

"The safeties are off, Commander Tucker. We cannot just sit here."

"What does it mean that 'the safeties are off'?"

"It means that the computer is making the holographic identical to the real thing. The temperature is going to get over forty-one degrees."

Trip sat up. "There's no way to stop it?"

"Not until the computer is cycled off."

"Well, it'll only be a few hours, won't it?"

"Maybe. Then again, maybe not."

Trip looked up at the cloudless blue sky. '_I am going to sock this kid! This whole week is just one really bad joke. Someone up there hates me. I just know they do! What did I do, _exactly, _to deserve this? Anyone up there can answer that? Even if it's a lie, I'd take the lie to nothing right now! I mean, here I am, stuck in a fake desert that feels like a real desert with a spoiled, snot nosed, kid that I just want to pelt into a bloody pulp. As if it wasn't bad enough that the normal environment was the shits, ya'll up there thought that, as a good joke, you'd add this to the pot? For crying out lou—_'

Jahk'pr's voice cut through Trip's mental tirade, "Commander."

"What?" Trip snapped.

"We must start walking," Jahk'pr answered.

"Why?" Trip asked, looking up at him. "We'll just be walking circles around the room, won't we?"

"Yes, but we may get to an oasis. There will be shade and water for you there."

"And then again, we may not. It's better just to sit and wait it out."

"I am not arguing with you." Jahk'pr turned and started up a sand dune.

Trip Watched Jahk'pr walk away for a moment. He closed his eyes, muttering, "Whatever I did to deserve this must've been the ultimate sin!"

Trip got up and followed Jahk'pr. "You'd better hope we find an oasis, Jahk'pr, or I promise I'll never let you hear the end of it. I am sick and tired of your attitude, Jahk'pr!"

Jahk'pr stopped, looking at Trip, "I am sick of your voice. Perhaps, based on that, there is a chance we can be friends yet."

Trip stopped, narrowing his eyes, "How do you figure that?"

"We both have something we hate in the other. Aren't friendships based on mutual agreements?" Jahk'pr smirked. "Of course, that is being optimistic and that is not in my nature." Jahk'pr turned and started walking again.

"There's a lot of things not in your nature," Trip shot back. "Humor is one of them."

The two continued walking in silence.

#

Pah'pr leaned on the railing in front of the view screen. He looked at Aws'tp.

"Perhaps you are feeling especially kind today, Aws'tp."

She looked at him. "Captain?"

"I do not want to tell Captain Archer his senior engineer is trapped in our recreation room in a desert. _If_ they still are in a desert, that is."

Aws'tp smiled. "I wish you grace and dignity, Captain. However, judging from what I have seen of Commander Tucker, I do not think Captain Archer will strike at us for what has happened."

Pah'pr smiled. "I hope you are correct, Aws'tp."

"Enterprise is within range and responding to our hail," the officer to Pah'pr's right said.

"Open the channel."

_Enterprise's_ bridge appeared on the view screen. Archer was standing beside helm control and smiling.

"I'm surprised to hear from you so early, Captain Pah'pr," Archer said, "How are repairs on your warp drive coming?"

"Not well, I'm afraid." Pah'pr stood up straight. "We encountered some hostile aliens returning to rendezvous coordinates, Captain Archer."

Archer's smile began to lose intensity. "Was Trip hurt?"

"I do not believe so, however, I cannot be certain. He and my senior engineer were in the recreation room when we were attacked. They are trapped in the room."

"And why do I get the sense this is not an ideal place to be trapped?"

"The last log to the main computer showed that they had entered a holograph of Arestak three hundred years before it became volcanically active. It was eighty percent desert then. Your officer, according to your doctor, does not cope well with dry, arid climates and high temperatures."

Archer had looked away before Pah'pr finished. "And he may be trapped in the desert with your chief engineer?"

"Yes."

"What were they doing in the room? It doesn't sound like it had anything to do with the warp engine."

"Commander Tucker had expressed interest in the room to Assistant Aws'tp," Pah'pr motioned to Aws'tp at his side, "so I asked my senior engineer to show it to him. They both needed a rest period from working on the engine. It has been frustrating both engineers I am told."

"How soon can you get them out?" Archer looked back at Pah'pr.

"I do not know for certain. I have my entire crew working on getting the computer back online, but there are several sub-systems that must be brought back online before that happens and some were damaged in the attack."

"Is your crew alright? Were there any casualties?"

"No. I did not lose any crew, thankfully."

"We'll reach the rendezvous coordinates in ten hours. Are you already there?" Archer asked.

"Yes."

"Keep me posted."

"We will."

"Archer out."

Pah'pr let his body relax as soon as the view screen changed. Aws'tp smiled when he looked down at her.

"I told you he would not be angry."

"It could be a trick."

"No, Captain, it is no trick." Aws'tp looked at the view screen. "The only time I ever saw Commander Tucker angry was when Jahk'pr made a very unpleasant and distasteful remark about Commander Tucker's scent right after he had bathed. He muttered something about 'Flattening him out if he made a rude comment about him or his race again.'" Aws'tp smiled up at Pah'pr. "The next time Jahk'pr made a remark, Commander Tucker did nothing."

Pah'pr looked away. "The more you tell me of the relationship between Jahk'pr and Commander Tucker, Aws'tp, the more am doubting I made an appropriate decision to send them to the room together. Why did you suggest it knowing there was such hostility between them, Aws'tp?"

Aws'tp pulled her hands behind her back, smiling more. "There was something I read in the information Sub-Commander T'Pol gave us about humans that I thought may aid them in resolving their issues. Humans tend to be both prideful and forgiving. There were several reports included where these emotional traits have resolved many problems for them when used together."

Pah'pr looked down at her, surprised by her comment. "I hope your are correct, Aws'tp, and that they are not in there striking one another to death."

"If they are, your son will lose, Captain. I must return to engineering now. Good leave, Captain." She turned and left the bridge.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Trip stopped walking. He felt exhausted and sweat poured down his body and stung his eyes. Trip swayed from a dizzy spell and sat down hard on the side of a sand dune. He let his chin droop to his chest and stared at the sand under him. A shadow fell over him and he looked up at Jahk'pr.

"We have to keep moving," Jahk'pr said.

'_What I wouldn't give to be an Arestak right now. Look at him. He hasn't even broken a sweat and all that energy! I wonder if it's his genetics or just the gift of youth. I remember when I was young and I could… Trip, ya gotta stay focused here._' Trip looked down again. "I ain't walking another step."

"Then I will leave you."

"Hasta tardes."

Jahk'pr turned and walked away. He reached the side of the next dune and turned to speak to Trip and found Trip hadn't followed him. He looked across at the facing dune and found Trip still sitting where he'd stopped. Jahk'pr looked up the dune he was climbing and back at Trip. He rolled his eyes and returned to Trip's side.

"We must continue walking," Jahk'pr said.

"You know what amazes me the most about you?" Trip asked, looking up at Jahk'pr.

Jahk'pr didn't reply.

"Your persistence in trying to get under my skin. If you applied even half of that persistence to your job you'd be the best damn engineer in the fleet."

"I was not aware you held a doctorate in psychology," Jahk'pr hissed.

"I don't."

"Then stop advising me on my actions. We must keep moving."

"I ain't movin'. The sun's almost down and I'm staying right here."

"We must keep moving to reach the oasis."

"You said that last night. We walked all night. No oasis. You said that this morning, we walked all morning, no oasis. You said that this afternoon, and lo and behold, no oasis. The hell if I'm gonna walk all night again. I'm tired, I'm hot, I'm thirsty, I'm hungry, and I'm _cranky_!"

"You mean being cranky is not your _natural_ disposition?"

Trip shook his head, a tight smile coming to his lips. "You just keep 'em comin', don't ya, Jahk'pr?"

"Fine. We will rest for a short time. Then we will continue walking."

"We'll rest 'til they open the damned door."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"YES!"

"_NO_!"

Trip stood. "I am gonna stay right _here_ until that door opens! If you wanna keep moving, fine, but you're going it alone."

"What will you do should the computer generates wind?"

"I'll be lost in a holographic projection of a desert that someone's gonna get turned off eventually. It's not like I'm gonna die in here!"

"You might."

"Is that a threat?"

"No. It is a fact. If the safeties are off, that means everything that is deadly about the desert is possible."

"I. Ain't. MOVIN'!"

Jahk'pr turned away. "I can imagine how frustrating humans must be to your Vulcan science officer, do you know that? Perhaps Captain Pah'pr should ask her to join our crew. At least then she would not have the inconvenience of dealing with humans. Humans are stubborn, arrogant, conceited and worst of all you stink! After spending a week and a half with you, I can only imagine what kind of an unpleasant human your captain is." Jahk'pr turned back, "Does your Vulcan—"

Trip's fist hit Jahk'pr on the bridge of his nose. It cracked and started bleeding as he fell back. Trip walked down the dune to the flat spot between the two dunes. He turned around to face Jahk'pr. Jahk'pr was sitting up, holding his nose and staring at Trip. Yellow blood oozed between his fingers and dripped onto his clothes and the sand.

"I'm waiting!" Trip yelled.

"Why did you strike me?" Jahk'pr stood.

Trip pointed at Jahk'pr, using it to accent his points. "You insulted my Vulcan science officer _friend_ and you insulted my _best friend_ and captain. Now, I've spent the last five days puttin' up with your insults and cut downs and I done lost my patience with you, boy! I ain't got a clue why you got it out for me, but I know I've had it! So get down here and fight me like a _MAN_!"

Jahk'pr stood still for so long that Trip didn't think he was going to do anything. With a yell, he charged Trip and when he reached him, swung his fist. He caught Trip in the side and pain raced up Trip's ribs, causing him to suck in a breath. Trip stumbled, caught his balance and fought back. Their momentum didn't slow when the ship rocked from a phase canon blast. Each time the rocking ship knocked them off their feet, the two jumped up and attacked each other again.

#

Pah'pr glanced at the monitor at his fingertips.

"There are four, captain."

"Hold our position. Evasive maneuvers and fire at will. Enterprise should be here any minute. Are they not responding to hails?"

"The aliens are blocking our communication. We cannot get a hail out," the COM officer reported.

"I have Enterprise on short range sensors, Captain," another Arestak reported. "They should arrive in another three minutes."

"Has Aws'tp gotten the warp drive on-line yet?"

"No, Captain. We're receiving a hail from Enterprise."

"On screen"

_Enterprise_'s bridge appeared on the view screen before Pah'pr. Archer was sitting in the captain's chair.

"You seem to be popular this week, Captain Pah'pr. Are these the same aliens that attacked you last time?"

"Yes."

"We're almost within weapons range. Hang in there."

"We are, Captain Archer."

"Archer out."

The view screen changed to show the attacking alien ships. _Enterprise_ suddenly dropped out of warp and opened fire on the attacking alien ships.

#

Trip fell back when the ship rocked and landed in the hot sand. He slowly drug himself to his feet and turned, expecting to find Jahk'pr there; Jahk'pr, however, was lying in the sand. Trip walked toward him, stopping to brace himself when the ship rocked, and knelt down beside the Arestak. Trip shook Jahk'pr's shoulder but he didn't move.

"What I wouldn't give for a nice, cold shower right now." Trip told Jahk'pr. "Wake your ass up so I can kick it again!" Trip looked down at Jahk'pr and frowned. "Naw. I don't wanna do that. I just… You irritate me! Why you gotta be so damn irritating all the time? That's really old and it pisses people off." Trip brushed sand off his leg and shorts. He looked up at the sky when the ship rocked. "AND WHOEVER KEEPS ATTACKING US, _KNOCK IT OFF_!"

Sparks showered from above. Trip turned, covering Jahk'pr's body with his own to keep him from being burned. Trip sat up when the shower stopped. He heard something creak and looked up. He didn't have a chance to identify what was flying at him before it struck him on the side of the head and knocked him unconscious. Trip fell back on the sand beside Jahk'pr.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Trip opened his eyes, staring up at the night sky. Overhead a gas giant planet loomed, reflecting light from the sun onto the sand, casting dim golden light across the land. Trip turned his head and saw Jahk'pr's dark form in the darkness. He was sitting up, hugging his knees and appeared to be staring at the sand. Trip could hear the Arestak muttering but Trip couldn't make out what he was saying.

"Cursing my name?" Trip asked.

"I have never lost a fight," Jahk'pr answered.

"Surprise. You lost one."

"I did not cause your head injury, did I?"

"No. Something metal came loose from the ceiling. I take it whoever was attacking us went away."

"The ship did not feel as if it were under attack when I came to. That does not mean we have not been boarded."

"You're optimism is amazing, Jahk'pr." Trip slowly sat up. He closed his eyes when a wave of dizziness washed over him.

"Are you okay?" Jahk'pr asked.

"I will be. We disgusting humans mend."

Jahk'pr sighed. "That was uncalled for. Both times. I apologize for saying it."

Trip shrugged. "I'd be pissed if someone was brought in to do my job too. Course, I was _kinda_ hoping we could work out the problem together."

Jahk'pr cleared his throat. "I... You won so I suppose I should... tell you the truth."

"Truth about what?"

"The warp drive sensors and readouts."

Trip's stomach knotted with tension. He looked at Jahk'pr. "What about them, Jahk'pr?"

"I rerouted them to another terminal in engineering. When we were running tests I was watching them."

"Were they going into critical?"

"When we went to warp three they began to climb to critical."

"JAHK'PR!" Trip stood. "Did you change them back before we came in here?"

"No."

"WHAT!?"

"No. I did not."

"Jahk'pr...if no one knows that, we could all be killed."

"I left one safety measure in place. The warp drive will shut down before it breaches."

"By then the engine could have irreparable damage, Jahk'pr. And that's the best that could happen!"

"I am sorry. I wanted you to look bad."

"By killing your crew?"

"I told you--"

Trip knelt down in front of Jahk'pr. "Having an engine shut down before it breaches isn't a safety protocol that's effective, Jahk'pr. There are hundred things that could cause that fail-safe not to go into effect and blow this ship to smithereens. You never should have done that. You should have just..." Trip sat down in the sand, smiling. "You shoulda just challenged me to a fist fight. We'd'a duked it out and called it good. Could'a done it without anyone even knowing."

Jahk'pr smiled. "You do fight amazingly well, Commander Tucker."

"I've had a lot of practice. I have a wicked temper."

Jahk'pr chuckled. "You do. There were a couple times I thought for certain you were going to strike me."

"Captain Archer has, sort of, made me curb it. Sometimes it gets the best of me still. Guess you saw that."

Jahk'pr sighed. "Mine does too. I yell and become verbally abusive."

"I've seen that."

"Captain Pah'pr... you know he is my father?"

"Yes."

"He wanted me here. He wanted me to follow in the family profession."

"What did you wanna do?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. It sounds like this wasn't your career of choice."

Jahk'pr leaned forward on his legs. "I wanted to be a marine biologist and join our oceanic research team on Fugh'ep. They have some amazing research happening now."

"Why don't you tell your dad that's what you want to do?"

"He would not listen."

"Then I'll tell him."

"Why would you tell him? Especially after what I have done."

Trip moved around to sit next to Jahk'pr. "I may have a really bad temper, but I can forgive anyone of almost anything. No one told me your attitude problem had to do with your father, but I have a friend on Enterprise that has almost the same story. I can see how being controlled like that would make you angry."

"His father is not Captain Archer, is he?"

Trip laughed. "No." Trip brushed his knees off. "No, his father is back on Earth. Don't really know if he was ever a captain, I know my friend never served under him, but if you get him started, he'll vent for hours about how his father wanted him to join the Royal Navy. So, to avoid it, he joined Starfleet instead."

"What is the Royal Navy?"

"An ocean fleet back home."

"Oh. Perhaps he and I should trade fathers," Jahk'pr joked.

Trip laughed. "See how when you're nice to people they like you and don't want to kick your butt?"

Jahk'pr chuckled. "I just needed to fight. That has made me feel better."

Trip nodded. "Strange how a good old fist fight does that when you're mad at someone."

"I will probably get reprimanded for it, however."

"How's that?"

"Fighting with fellow officers carries a strict punishment, and with my other infractions, it will most likely mean my dismissal from the fleet."

Trip shrugged, frowning a little. "He'd havta know about it to reprimand you, Jahk'pr."

Jahk'pr looked at Trip. "You do not intend to tell him?"

"Naw. You'll havta tell him if you want him to know."

"How do we explain these injuries?"

"Safeties are off. Some big beast attacked us."

Jahk'pr laughed. "Do you lie well as well as you stink?"

Trip laughed. "Yes. As a matter of fact, I do." Trip sat his hands behind him and leaned on them. "So, who do you think keeps attacking us?"

"It is hard to say. There appears to be more hostile aliens out here than not."

"Ain't that the truth." Trip sighed. "OW!" Trip sat up, yanking his hand around. He looked down and saw blood.

"What?"

"Something bit me."

The two stopped talking. They could hear something crawling on the sand. Trip got to his feet, holding his injured hand. Jahk'pr moved to a crouch, looking around him. He suddenly snatched up something and stood. Trip heard a squeaking and could see something fighting Jahk'pr's hold.

"What is it?"

Jahk'pr held it closer to him. Trip heard a crunch and the squeaking stopped.

"P'var. They are scavenging rodents."

"I can hear more."

"Let us walk to the top of the dune."

"They'll follow, won't they?"

"Not necessarily."

Trip followed Jahk'pr to the top of the dune and was relieved to feel a cool breeze blowing across the top of it. The two sat down again.

"That is curious," Jahk'pr mused.

"What is?"

"P'var. They are not desert rodents. Strange that the computer would generate them."

"They weren't common on Arestak?"

"No. They are from Ede'thif, but they appear to be fond of living in space. They have a problem with them on the Ede'thif space dock and most ships have to go through an eradication cycle before leaving port."

"Is there any place the rodents don't live?"

"I think not. They seem a highly adaptable species."

Trip nodded.

The two were silent for a while.

Trip looked down at the bite on his hand, touching the wound. '_These P'var sound just like rats or mice._' Trip smiled, his thoughts continuing, "_I remember stories of old ships having rat infestations and they took cats... to... Whoa! Whoa! Hold everything! What if... Oh my God! That's it! That is it!_' Trip sat up straight suddenly, as his epiphany idea took fast form in his mind. "Jahk'pr, you said those rodents aren't desert creatures, right?"

"Correct."

Trip looked down the sand dune. "If the computer didn't program them in, then where would they have come from?"

"Just a glitch."

Trip looked at Jahk'pr. "But what if it's not a glitch."

"It has to be. That's the only way they would have been in here."

"Jahk'pr, what if those things are real."

"That's impossible. We eradicated the ship of them."

"When was that?"

"Several months ago. We were two days out of dock and discovered we had an infestation. We returned, eradicated them, and headed out again."

"You sure all of them were killed?"

"The computer indicated they had been."

"Was there any place that didn't have sensors when they were eradicated?"

Jahk'pr thought. "There are two places. Inside the incinerator and the emergency life spheres."

"Back on Ede'thif, did these P'var ever cause problems in machinery?"

"All the time. Why?"

"Your warp drive initially went off line because a conductor coil went out. It was off line for a week while you waited for a replacement part and then installed it, following which the drive continued to go off line for no apparent reason. All the maintenance and diagnostic reports I read proved that. But what if the problem was only happening when the drive was off line? What if the P'var are nesting in the vents?"

"We would have noticed the engine wasn't venting properly."

"Not if the nests were incinerated as soon as the drive was initiated. Here's the scenario as I see it. First time the drive went off line, areas of the drive were left open during maintenance while waiting for the coil. The P'var get into the engine and find themselves homes in the buffer zones like the cooling manifold and the vents. The engine comes on line and is initiated. Super heated plasma vents through the vents and incinerates nests and P'var, maybe even lighting the plasma for a brief moment. But that moment is all it would take to set off every safety protocol on that engine that would take it off line. You and the others take a couple days to check out the engine and reports, find nothing. Meanwhile, our furry pests take up residence in the vents again. You fire up the engine, and BAM! It happens all over again. And if those P'var are anything like our rats and mice, they breed like there's no tomorrow. You could have hundreds of those things running around in the manifold, crawl spaces in the catwalks... And I know our rats and mice can withstand some pretty high temperatures and in those spaces, they're meant to buffer the heat from the engine. They would be able to survive in there."

"Would not the impulse engine do the same?"

"Your impulse drive is self contained and vents through different ducts."

Jahk'pr nodded. "Yes. That would make sense."

Both squinted, looking up when the door opened. Aws'tp stepped in.

"Computer," Aws'tp said, "end program."

The lights came on and the two found themselves sitting on the floor. Jahk'pr looked down, picking up the P'var he'd killed by its short stubby tail.

"Commander, I am suspecting your theory may be correct." Jahk'pr looked at Trip. "Our misfortune with this holograph may have just solved our warp drive difficulties."

Trip stood up. "Let's go find out."

Jahk'pr and Trip left the room, talking about how to go about finding any nests in the warp drive. Aws'tp watched them leave, smiling. She looked back into the room.

"I should apply for ship counselor!" Aws'tp turned and walked away.

#

Captain Pah'pr and Captain Archer walked side by side down the hall. Jahk'pr and Trip followed behind them, listening to the two talk. Both Arestak were wearing respirators to help them breath in the climate of _Enterprise_.

"Thank you for accommodating us while the rodents were exterminated. I hope none managed to escape aboard your vessel," Pah'pr told Archer.

"We're going to continue running scans for them just in case. I'm just glad you were able to find out what was causing the problem."

Pah'pr glanced back at Trip and Jahk'pr, smiling. "It took a computer glitch to find it."

Archer smiled, nodding.

The two turned into the docking tunnel and stopped at the hatch. Pah'pr extended his hand to Archer, surprising him. Archer took it and Pah'pr shook it.

"I am grateful the Xyrillians suggested to seek your assistance on this matter."

"Let us know if we can help any further."

"We will." Pah'pr turned to Trip. "Thank you for your assistance, Commander Tucker, and I will consider what we discussed. I appreciate you bringing it to my attention."

Trip smiled. "No problem. Have a safe trip."

Pah'pr turned and boarded his ship. Jahk'pr looked up at Trip.

"You told him?"

"Told him what?"

"What I really want to do."

"I merely suggested he should perhaps inquire about it. He may find you have skills better suited for another line of work."

Jahk'pr smiled. "Thank you, Commander. Good leave."

"Good leave."

Jahk'pr boarded the Arestak ship and the hatch closed between the two.

"You never suggest anything, Trip," Archer said.

"I suggested," Trip smiled, looking at Archer, "and then I told him his son was really unhappy as an engineer but he was either too ashamed or too angry to say anything so if he wanted his crew to continue running smoothly, he'd better ship him off to that research colony on Fugh'ep."

Archer laughed. "How did you two really get split lips and black eyes? That whole creature attacking you bit I'm not buying. I know you better than that."

"All you need to know is that me and Jahk'pr came to an understanding."

"Which was?"

"I'm not after his job. And... I don't stink. Either."

"Well, whatever really happened over there, I'm glad you managed to maintain relations."

Trip grinned, walking back down the hall. Archer followed along side him.

"Can I work in shorts and sandals on duty?" Trip asked.

"Not a chance in hell."

"Shorts and sneakers?"

"No."

"Shorts and--"

"Trip."

"Yeah?" Trip looked back at Archer.

"It's good to have you back."

Trip smiled. "And I ain't lying when I say I'm happy to be back in our nice, humid, twenty-three point nine Celsius environment."

The two laughed as they turned a corner.


End file.
